# Cigar Sampler Journey - 10 cigars and thoughts on them as they are lit up



## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

So as many of you saw, I recently received a humidor and 10 cigars. The list of the 10 from the sampler are in the other thread but I will be updating this thread with my opinions on each smoke.

1- March 27th, 9pm EST - *CAO Black Bengal (6x50)
*


> So a buddy of mine wanted to smoke a cigar tonight after an all brother cleaning session at our fraternity house, and I reached inside my humidor and pulled out this CAO. Looked good, had a nice simple band and I thought, "Looks good to me!" Now it was time to light up. He smoked a Gurkha of some sort that he got at the convenience shop up the street. He lit his up, didnt enjoy the first half inch or so and then it smoothed out for him. However, I liked my stick from the light. The burn was a little rough at first but evened out about an inch in. It has a very loose draw on it which was different compared to the few cigars I have previously tried. The flavor had strong notes of pepper until about 3 inches in. At that point it tasted sweet and like walnuts. Also, it started swell causing the wrapper to crack. After reading around I have found that this could be due to the cigar still being too wet as many online shipper send them. I smoked this cigar down to about a half inch left as then it became too hot to handle. I saved the band and would be interested in trying these again sometime. ​


[HR][/HR]
Cigars remaining to be smoked :

- Cohiba Red Dot Robusto (5x49)
- Hoyo Excalibur Epicure (5.2x50)
- La Gloria Cubana Serie R #5 (5.5x54)
- Macanudo Hyde Park (5.5x49)
- Punch Pita (6.1x50)
- Gurkha Triple Ligero Toro (6.2x50)
- Torano Noventa Santiago (5x50)
- Garo Double Habano (4.7x52) 
- Graycliff 'G2' PGX Toro (6x50)


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## sychodelix (Mar 20, 2013)

Nice! I like the way you are going through each one giving your thoughts on it. I will be keeping an eye on this thread!


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

Very happy that you enjoyed your new stick. The cracking wrapper could also be because you're smoking too fast as I often do.


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

sychodelix said:


> Nice! I like the way you are going through each one giving your thoughts on it. I will be keeping an eye on this thread!


Thanks! I really can't wait to light up a few more.



capttrips said:


> Very happy that you enjoyed your new stick. The cracking wrapper could also be because you're smoking too fast as I often do.


I noticed the burn was moving very quickly. This doesn't affect the flavor at all does it?


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## divedoc (Mar 7, 2013)

Smoking too quickly can add harshness to the taste of the cigar. I've also noticed that burn issues can intensify with aggressive smoking.


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## jeepman_su (Mar 8, 2012)

I really struggled with smoking too fast for a long time. It got to the point where I had to set the timer on my phone and smoke part of a cigar watching the timer to try and force some good habits on myself. Now granted it made the cigar I was smoking not very enjoyable, but I did manage to train myself lol. I also find that reading, browsing the internet, etc while I smoke helps me a great deal as well. I am interested to hear your review on the Torano, I have enjoyed most of their stuff I have smoked and great deals can be found on most Torano stuff.


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## Gdaddy (Sep 20, 2012)

I've learned to slow down and take lighter puffs. The cigar will stay cooler and smoke better. Higher temps are not good and can cause cracking and an acrid burnt flavor. Nice and easy does it.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

How long did it take you to smoke the CAO? A cigar that size is close to 1 1/2 hours for me.


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## Black Six (Sep 2, 2012)

jeepman_su said:


> I really struggled with smoking too fast for a long time. It got to the point where I had to set the timer on my phone and smoke part of a cigar watching the timer to try and force some good habits on myself. Now granted it made the cigar I was smoking not very enjoyable, but I did manage to train myself lol. I also find that reading, browsing the internet, etc while I smoke helps me a great deal as well.


I struggled with it too. I didn't ever use a timer, but i got into a routine between the cigar, my drink, and reading a book or talking. (you're right, reading helps a ton.)

I also learned that if you're smoking too fast, you can actually be missing out on part of the finish on certain cigars.


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## capttrips (Jun 25, 2012)

ACasazza said:


> Thanks! I really can't wait to light up a few more.
> 
> I noticed the burn was moving very quickly. This doesn't affect the flavor at all does it?


It depends on why it's burning fast. If you are smoking too quickly it will definitely add harshness or bitterness. Other cigars just burn fast and there is no change in the flavor profile.


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## Black Six (Sep 2, 2012)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anthony. I have a Black Bengal lurking in my "i have no idea" humidor for cigars i've never smoked before, and can't really recall where or when i got them. I really dig pepper/spice in cigars, so i'll try it out soon.


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## ten08 (Sep 8, 2011)

Nice job Anthony! Looking forward to the others.
Subscribed opcorn:


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Black 6 said:


> Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Anthony. I have a Black Bengal lurking in my "i have no idea" humidor for cigars i've never smoked before, and can't really recall where or when i got them. I really dig pepper/spice in cigars, so i'll try it out soon.


Make it your next smoke and let me know how it compares for you!



jeepman_su said:


> I really struggled with smoking too fast for a long time. It got to the point where I had to set the timer on my phone and smoke part of a cigar watching the timer to try and force some good habits on myself. Now granted it made the cigar I was smoking not very enjoyable, but I did manage to train myself lol. I also find that reading, browsing the internet, etc while I smoke helps me a great deal as well. I am interested to hear your review on the Torano, I have enjoyed most of their stuff I have smoked and great deals can be found on most Torano stuff.


I will certainly need to try that. Also, I'll see about making the Torano my next smoke. I was debating between that and the Cohiba red dot.



Gdaddy said:


> I've learned to slow down and take lighter puffs. The cigar will stay cooler and smoke better. Higher temps are not good and can cause cracking and an acrid burnt flavor. Nice and easy does it.


I found that I was taking stronger puffs due to the loose draw. I've become accustom to the volume and density of smoke from a hookah (being in a fraternity and all, that is what a lot of the guys smoke daily) so I felt like I wasn't getting any smoke even though it was burning quite hot.



piperdown said:


> How long did it take you to smoke the CAO? A cigar that size is close to 1 1/2 hours for me.


That was about an hour an a half as well. Maybe a little under.



capttrips said:


> It depends on why it's burning fast. If you are smoking too quickly it will definitely add harshness or bitterness. Other cigars just burn fast and there is no change in the flavor profile.


Gotcha. Also, I got your visitor message and I can't seem to figure out how to reply to it. I don't see an option. Maybe I don't have enough posts for that?


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## Black Six (Sep 2, 2012)

ACasazza said:


> Make it your next smoke and let me know how it compares for you!


You know what? ... i WILL! Thanks for saving the trouble of picking something out. I warn you though, while some people have palates like finely tuned sportcars, mine is more like an old pickup truck. (I was kinda jealous when i read that you picked up 'walnut'. I don't think i could taste walnut if i were eating walnuts.) I can basically pick up / articulate three flavors: :dude:, :| and uke:


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Black 6 said:


> You know what? ... i WILL! Thanks for saving the trouble of picking something out. I warn you though, while some people have palates like finely tuned sportcars, mine is more like an old pickup truck. (I was kinda jealous when i read that you picked up 'walnut'. I don't think i could taste walnut if i were eating walnuts.) I can basically pick up / articulate three flavors: :dude:, :| and uke:


I absolutely love walnuts thats probably why I could taste them.


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## pippin925 (Jan 3, 2013)

Nice. I picked up the same sampler/ humi combo when I first started. Only smoked a few from the sampler before moving on to other things and still have one of those sitting around. I'll need to light it up and give it a try. Looking forward to hearing what you think about the others. Keep track of what you liked about each so your local B&M or people on the boards can give you recommendations based on your preferences. Enjoy the journey.


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## HIM (Sep 12, 2012)

Black 6 said:


> I also learned that if you're smoking too fast, you can actually be missing out on part of the finish on certain cigars.


This is a very good point. Sometimes the flavors on the front palate are so good you dont want to stop puffing. But you have to remember to let the flavors really settle and go through their progression so you can enjoy the finish too. This is true for anything...beer, wine, scotch, cigars, food.


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

HIM said:


> This is a very good point. Sometimes the flavors on the front palate are so good you dont want to stop puffing. But you have to remember to let the flavors really settle and go through their progression so you can enjoy the finish too. This is true for anything...beer, wine, scotch, cigars, food.


I agree! However, I'm not a fan of the peppery taste too much yet. And that seems to be a common front palate.


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## B-daddy (Oct 29, 2012)

Great thread, man. Look forward to hearing more as you smoke through this sampler. Glad you're getting so into the smoking and the participation in the forum. Good on ya.


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## mrdowntown (Feb 3, 2013)

Just want to chime in and say this is a great thread and I caught myself slowing down on the RYJ I'm smoking right now haha. Reading posts like this is what helps me really enjoy my stogie


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Just picked up a 5pack of Brocatus Churchill 7x50s from CBid for $3 + Shipping. Will add those on here as well.


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## havanadaydreaming (Mar 26, 2013)

Glad you're doing this, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the reviews! op2:


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## Wicked_Rhube (Jul 29, 2012)

Black 6 said:


> I can basically pick up / articulate three flavors: :dude:, :| and uke:


SAME HERE!!!!


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

About to try the - Gurkha Triple Ligero Toro (6.2x50) tonight and see how it is. Will be following up with a review of it and pictures!


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Double post, however it is an update.

Today I had the Gurkah Triple Ligero Toro. 

Starting off, it was difficult to light. I let it rest in my humi for around a week and a half and it smelled great before it got lit. It holds ash very well but I didn't take any pictures.

The whole cigar's flavor was the same, however the intensities varied throughout. I could taste undertones of grass or wood as well as some peppery spice. Nothing sweet like walnuts this time haha. 

Overall it was a good cigar, however on the draw, there was not a whole lot of smoke, yet it smoked quite a bit coming from the foot.


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## jeepman_su (Mar 8, 2012)

ACasazza said:


> Double post, however it is an update.
> 
> Today I had the Gurkah Triple Ligero Toro.
> 
> ...


Glad you enjoyed it. I tried one of these one time. I try to have the rule that if I don't like a cigar the first time I will always give it a second chance. Now with that being said there are a few exceptions to that for me, if I don't like the flavor and I have some other type of issue I just give up on that cigar entirely lol. That was my experience with the Gurkha Triple Ligero. I did not enjoy the taste, I expected much more out of a Triple Ligero cigar. Now that wasnt enough to make me give up on it....at about the end of the first third the damn thing totally fell apart lol....I don't mean a little wrapper crack I mean the wrapper simply fell off lol. At this point I threw it away and have not even thought about another one since. I am glad you enjoyed it though, if you want you can PM me I have some other Gurkha's that I don't really care for I would be willing to send you.


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## Black Six (Sep 2, 2012)

ACasazza said:


> Make it your next smoke and let me know how it compares for you!


Well, i just smoked the CAO Black Bengal last night. As i said, i'm not really so great at articulating flavors and whatnot, but i found it to have a slight pepper kick at the beginning, and then it settled into a really enjoyable mild flavor. (no walnuts for me, sorry.) baking spice, little nutty. Slight creamy vanilla hint. It was probably the most well constructed cigar i've smoked in a while. just solid, but light. It reminded me a lot of Macanudo back in their pre-hurricane, early 90s glory. Would definitely smoke again if i came across one.


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Black 6 said:


> Well, i just smoked the CAO Black Bengal last night. As i said, i'm not really so great at articulating flavors and whatnot, but i found it to have a slight pepper kick at the beginning, and then it settled into a really enjoyable mild flavor. (no walnuts for me, sorry.) baking spice, little nutty. Slight creamy vanilla hint. It was probably the most well constructed cigar i've smoked in a while. just solid, but light. It reminded me a lot of Macanudo back in their pre-hurricane, early 90s glory. Would definitely smoke again if i came across one.


Great cigars aren't they? Not too expensive either!

CAO Black - Cigars International -- $85 for the box!


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## jeepman_su (Mar 8, 2012)

ACasazza said:


> Great cigars aren't they? Not too expensive either!
> 
> CAO Black - Cigars International -- $85 for the box!


I boxed up some cigars for you Anthony and they are on their way today. Hopefully you enjoy them, if not well at least they were free haha!


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

jeepman_su said:


> I boxed up some cigars for you Anthony and they are on their way today. Hopefully you enjoy them, if not well at least they were free haha!


I can't wait to get them! Thanks so much!


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

So last night I smoked some of the Cuban Honey's - Honey 4x32 and had the Punch Pita (6.1x50).

The punch was nice, very light. Not very thick smoke. Was earthy throughout and kept a nice ash all the way through. I shared it with a couple buddies and they all enjoyed it as well. Overall good cigar but I would prefer something with deeper flavor and thicker smoke on the draw. 

As for the cuban honeys. I am hooked. If anyone has these, I'll buy them from you. I got a tin of 10 of the 4x32 honey tipped ones from CBid for $5 and it was the best deal I've gotten yet, imo. Very thick smoke on the draw. Deep robust flavors that I can't identify other than as sweet and delicious. I had 3 of these and every one of them were great. They came packaged in a nice tin and inside the tin were all of them individually wrapped in cello. I put them in my humi for around a week and they were great when I pulled them out. These WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTING.


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## ACasazza (Mar 23, 2013)

Last night I smoked the Cohiba Reddot Robusto (5x49)and the Garo Double Habano (4.7x52) . Below are reviews for them.

Cohiba Red Dot Robusto
This cigar was quite enjoyable. It was peppery but not overwhelming. It had a nice smooth draw and produced very dense thick smoke. It held its ash very well and burned evenly throughout. I only had to ash twice. I'm a big fan of cohibas and it didn't let me down. The flavor was complemented by Summer Shandy like before. Great smoke but nothing like its Cuban counterpart!

Garo Double Habano
This was a disappointing smoke. Smelled great out of the cello and light up nicely. The cap was horrible and fell apart. About 1/3, in the wrapper came off completely. I continued to try and smoke it and was only picking up a woody flavor. I thrashed it 5/8 in. Not a fan of this stick.


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